In this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with noted DEI expert and strategist Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur.
Named one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine, Pendakur speaks to the racist framing behind the label “model minority,” the chilling and silencing effects of red state legislation, and why protesting affirmative action is opposition to the promise of education.
KEY POINTS:
- Why the “model minority” label is so problematic
- How the model minority myth masks the experiences of Asian American students
- Challenges facing undocumented Asian students
- The importance of targeted spaces and cultural centers
- Is anti-affirmative action really just anti-racial justice?
- Racial battle fatigue on the already marginalized
- Unseen DEI barriers in higher education
QUOTABLES:
“The model minority naming is designed to create division. It’s designed as part of a design, divide, and conquer strategy.” - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur
“There's no good stereotype, because it creates a narrowing of possibility.” - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur
GUEST RESOURCES:
About Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur. http://www.sumunpendakur.com/about
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/@DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation
OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues
Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation
Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/
Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education
Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.
In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at Instapodcasts.com)